Photo Prompt © Priya Bajpal
Miss Devine could sense waves of unease flowing from Ella who was fidgeting amid the group of girls stamping their feet, shoulders hunched, arms wrapped around their adolescent bodies attempting to combat the freezing air. She wished there was another way to sort the hockey team members rather than by shirt colour. She wouldn’t prolong her discomfort. Ella’s father’s passion for Liverpool Football Club and his antipathy to Everton and all things blue was well-known but the rumoured abuse of his daughter if she dared to wear blue clothing was deeply worrying.
“Ella, you’re playing for greens against the yellows.”
Word Count:100
Written for Friday Fictioneers – a 100 words story based on a photo prompt. Hosted by Rochelle. Read the other entries here.
http://www.inlinkz.com/new/view.php?id=810645
Clare Hempstead 
Dear Clare,
Methinks there’s more to this story. Daddy obviously has a problem. It sounds like Ella could have an ally in Miss Devine. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks, Rochelle. Yes, Daddy has lost all sense of perspective!
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My goodness, you’ve packed a huge story into such a tiny one. Brilliantly done!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thanks, Susan. I was intending to leave more of it untold, but then it didn’t make sense!
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Having an adolescent granddaughter called Ella myself made this all the more readable! Nice one Clare
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Glad you enjoyed it, Keith.
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Sadly there are idiots as unbalanced as this in our world.
Powerful treatment of ghastly scenario, Clare.
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Sadly, there are. Thanks for your kind comment.
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Well done, Miss Devine. An ingenious solution to the immediate problem. Now, what can she do about the bigger issue?
A good story for making the reader think beyond the plot.
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Thanks, Penny. It’s a difficult one to prove, I think.
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Oh, I like Miss Divine very much. She seems like she just might be Ella’s guardian angel.
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Thanks, Alicia. If only she could deal with all of Ella’s problems so simply!
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Ella’s problem solved on jersey front. She will be wearing green. It is unfair to limit a girl’s options because of her father’s likes and dislikes.
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I think her father is a nasty piece of work!
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Diplomatically sorted, but still there’s an uneasy feeling. And how I remember those freezing mornings on the hockey field…
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Yes, she has more problems to deal with. I remember the freezing hockey pitch only too well!
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Bully is the right word and how to deal with it. In a few words you’ve ‘approached’ a huge problem. Although uniforms for hockey teams is a cultural problem and reads very american to me, bullying is a worldwide problem in every culture. Very good take. Thanks.
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Thanks, I drew on childhood memories of the cold hockey pitch!
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Now there’s a story that needs unfolding..
gramswisewords.blogspot.com
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There’s certainly a lot more to it! Thanks for commenting.
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Jeez, Ella’s Dad, it’s only football… please don’t give him my contact details now I’ve said that!
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Ha, ha! You’re safe!
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poor ella, she got a bully for a father.
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Indeed. Hopefully Miss Devine will do more than ensure she doesn’t wear a blue shirt!
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The problem is solved only for the moment. Rumored abuse by a crazy man, Miss Devine needs to call the authorities. A larger story exists beneath this one. Well written!
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Thanks very much. I have confidence in Miss Devine!
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Oh, that’s awful, the Dad sounds a mentalist, hope Ella is ok
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He’s a bit of a fanatic! Thanks for reading and commenting.
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At least blue shirts didn’t come up this time. Poor Ella
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Thanks for reading and commenting.
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I agree this sounds like the beginning of a mystey. Hope miss devine gets to the botoom of it, for Ellas sake!
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I have a feeling Miss Devine will do her utmost.
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Lucky for Ella, she has a Miss Devine who has her back – and for more than sports, methinks…
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Thanks, Dale. Miss Devine will make sure Ella is looked after!
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I have no doubt!
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This leaves me with many questions.
And it is brilliantly written. Loved it.
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Thank you so much. That’s a lovely comment to receive!
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Lucky for Ella, her teacher is on her side, but much leaves to be said about her dad. Good story Clare!
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Thanks very much.
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Any kind of abuse is wrong – glad she’s got teacher on her side.
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Thanks, Liz.
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I know a few of those kind of
Father’s living on the Wirral and raising two scousers of my own 😊
Thank fully my fella is a reds supporter but drives a blue car so isn’t drawn to such nonsense!
Crazy behaviour! Nicely done 😊
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*fathers
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Thanks for reading and commenting. Some supporters are a little fanatical!
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So, so much packed in here. Excellent!
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Thank you very much 😀
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The word fan is simply an abreviation of “fanatic” Daddy certainly fits the description.
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Some parents need to be banned from the sports fields, looks like Ella’s dad is one of them.
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Yes, indeed! Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Ella is very lucky to have found an ally. Some parents lose all judgement, not only about jersey colours. Great story.
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Thanks, Gaby.
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There’s so much story here. Great job
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Thank you very much.
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I can just see those poor kids out there in the cold, you describe them so well. Poor Ella. It usually doesn’t take much more than wearing the wrong colour to trigger abuse from such people. Very convincing story. And three cheers for Miss Devine.
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Thanks very much. I remember the days on the hockey field very well!
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I’m married to one of those. We aren’t allowed to wear certain color combinations because they represent rival football teams.
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Oh dear! Thanks for reading.
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Makes me glad not to be in a family where one person’s favorite team rules the roost 🙂
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Thanks, Granonine.
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I’ve known true sport team fanatics and was puzzled by their utter hatred of an opposing team. Colors is taking it a bit over the line, but it’s believable. Poor kid. Hopefully her later life, sans dad, will be in all shades of blue.
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Thank you. Yes, some people take their support too far!
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Some fathers aren’t fathers at all.
I hope Ella finds it in her to turn down his diktats, in the near future.
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I’m sure she will. People are on his case!
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Daddy definitely has a problem the girl should be fostered out to right minded people, Everton supporters 🙂
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Ha, ha! Better still to a Fulham supporting family!
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Disturbing, but having seen the highs and lows of a football fan first hand I can see the dark possibility of this story.
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Thanks, Dawn.
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Nicely told Clare. As a football fan I was smiling along as I understand the passionate dislike of certain colours! But then your reveal of Ella’s horrific home life gives the story a very much darker tone. I hope Miss Devine is able to intervene in more than just the hockey team selection
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Yay, Miss Devine! Good story!
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Well done🌻
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